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Ex-trooper indicted in OT abuse

Former Massachusetts State Police Lt. David Wilson leaves Moakley Federal Court in Boston on June 27. He was indicted Wednesday in an overtime fraud scheme. BOSTON HERALD PHOTO / NICOLAUS CZARNECKI

A former state police lieutenant was indicted Wednesday in federal court in connection with the ongoing investigation of overtime abuse in the agency, according to federal prosecutors.

David Wilson, 57, of Charlton, was indicted on one count of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds. Wilson had been previously charged and arrested on June 27. An arraignment date on the indictment has not been scheduled yet, according to U.S. Attorney Andrew E. Lelling's office.

Wilson was assigned to the now disbanded Troop E which patrolled the Mass Pike. He served as officer-in-charge of several overtime shifts and is alleged to have received overtime pay for shifts he either did not work at all, or departed from early, according to Lelling's office.

According to court documents, Wilson earned approximately $230,000 in 2016, about $68,000 of which was overtime pay. Prosecutors allege Wilson collected $12,450 in overtime pay for hours he did not work, according to Lelling's office.

Wilson was arrested in June along with former Trooper Paul Cesan, 50, and Trooper Gary Herman, 45. All three entered pleas of not guilty at their initial court appearances.

In all, six troopers have been charged in the overtime investigation, and a total of 46 have been flagged by the ongoing audit.

In July, retired trooper Gregory Raferty pleaded guilty to stealing $51,337 through the shifts. Last Friday, Trooper Kevin Sweeney, 40, who last year made $243,882, including $75,031 in overtime pay -- became the second trooper to plead guilty in the overtime probe.

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Retired trooper Daren Dejong was also charged and pleaded not guilty last month. Prosecutors allege he bilked state police of more than $14,000 through no-show overtime shifts.

State police Col. Kerry Gilpin has announced a set of reforms in response to the overtime scandal, including quarterly overtime audits of the department's 50 top earners, GPS tracking on cruisers and a police camera pilot program.

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